Steering device.



PATENTE@ DEG. 4, 1906; T, P. & W. W.'W1Ls0N.

STEERING DEVICE. APPLIOATION FILED MNA, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

No. 837,528. PATENTED DEG. 4, 1906. T. E. E W. W. WILSON-.-

STEERING DEVICE.l

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 4, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

,. .wf/fw? UNIID srAfrns PATENT QFFXCE.

'THATOHER I. WILSON AND WALTER W. WILSON,- or LoNeBEAoH,

- CALIFORNIA.

STEERING DEVIQE.

, Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 4, 1906.

Application filed J aiiuary 4, 1906. Serial No. 294.656.

.To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, .THATOHER P. WIL- soiy and WALTER W. WILSON, citizens of the United States, residing at Longbeach, in the county of Los Angeles and State of Califorsituation in which a steering-wheel or tiller isv used, and it is particularly adapted for use in automobiles or boats, for reasons which' will be hereinafter stated.

The object of our invention is to provide a rigid steering device easily manipulated by hand and in which the direction will not be changed in the vehicle or boat on which our steeringdevice is used by contact with Ian obstruction in the road or by any unusual or sudden strain placed thereon. plish this objeotsby means of the device described herein and shown'in the accompanyin drawings, in whichigure lis a fragmentary view of the front part of the running-gearfof an automobile equipped with our steering device. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of our steering device. F ig. 3 is a fragmentary front view, partly in section and partly broken away, of an automobile equipped with our steering device.

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the planetary'gearand connecting parts. Fig. 5 is a central vertical section taken through the planetary gear and the easing surrounding the same, the gear being shown in elevation. 1 Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the operating-slides slidinglyniounted on the front of the plate vor casing which carries the planetary gear.

In the drawings, A represents the front wheels of an automobile, B the front axle thereof, and C the conventional steering-bar used on automobiles. The steering-Wheel D is vertically mounted in front of the seat on the horizontal steering-shaft 'E and moves in a vertical. lane. It carries on its periphery thereof a p urality of handles D', the purpose of which is to afford additional means to steady the' wheel While operating the car. The steering-shaft E carries a universal joint F. The steering-wh'eelis niouiitedon the rear end of the shaft, and on its forward end a spur-gear G is keyed. The upright We accomstandard V, which supports the shaft E, has adjustably mounted thereon the supporting-arm W, which' supports the steeringwheel at any angle desired. The adjustment of the arm on the Aupright standard is accomplished by meansof the adjusting-screw X. The spur-gear meshes with the four Jur-gears H, pivotally mounted on the gearcarrying plate I by means of the bolts J, passing' through the plate and projecting inwardly, carrying these gears on their inner ends. This plate forms a bearing for the forward end of the steering-shaft through which I the steering-shaft projects. The rotation of the steering-shaft will cause the rotation of the spur-gears H, and these gears in turn will cause the rotation of the plate K. This 'plate has o n its outer rim internally-projecting teeth which mesh with the gears H.

This'plate K carries on the reverse side thereg of dovetailed rooves L, adapted to receive and hold in siding en agement therewith the slidesM, four in num er, as shown in Fig. 6. These slides are pivotally attached to the end of these steering-levers cross each other, as shown in Fig. 3. The lower ends thereof are -pivotally secured to opposite sides of the upper ends of the steering-levers N. The lower oscillating disk O. .This disk is 'centrally journaled in a projection P on the frame.

On a projection O on the disk a connect-` ing-bar Q is pivoted,the otherend of'which is pivotally secured to the steering-barC. By this arrangement it will be manifest that upon the rotation of the steering-Wheel'the steering-bar through intermediate parts Will be. moved to the right or left and change the direction in which the car 'is movin When either wli'eel of the car contacts Wit air unusualfobstruction in the road, the slides M will be held in rigid engagementin the slots L and rigidly hold the wheel a ainst the robstruction and prevent the Wieel from being turned thereby. A car equipped with our steeringl device will be easily managed and at the same time be preto the Iright or left vented from turning) when running over o structions in theroad.

It willalso prevent the sudden jar usualin steering-wheels of the conventional t e when obstructions present themselves in t e road, which frequently throws the steeringwlieel out of the Vdi'ivers hand, causinghim to lose control of the car.

IUS

`plate K, as `shown in Fig. '4.

the use ofthe car byany one not key tounlock the same. v y

invention, what We vIn Figs'. land 2 we have shown means whereby the steering deviceof an automobile can be locked by moving forwardly the supplementary spur-gear R into engagement with Athe-spur-gears H and the internally-projecting teeth on a gear-carrying This'supplementary gearI is keyed.` to a horizontally- `mounted shaft, which has ailongitudinal movement through the upwardly-projecting lug AT lon the frame. By elevating the free v end of the lever U lthesupplementary gear will be moved -forwardly into engagementl with the vinternally-projecting teeth on the plate K' and prevent the rotation of the plate,.. and consequently pnevent the movement of i comprising a horizontally-mounted steering- .a s ur-gear;`pl anetary gears surrounding.

shaft having keyed on the front end thereof sai yspur-gear andV adapted to mesh therewith; a slide-carrying plate having on the rim thereof inwardly-projecting gear-teeth adapted'to me'sh with the planetary gears,

'fthe said plate beingjprovided on its front side with radial dovetail grooves for the reception .and operation of steering-slides,-4 ivotallyv atvslides in said grooves having tached thereto, at their top en s verticallymounted steering-levers, the' lower ends .of

said steering-levers being operatively connected with the steering-bar of the auto- ,"I'nobile'. i

' f2. 4A steeringldevice forautomobiles com- '."pri'singa steermg-shaft E having thereon a universal co'u ling F and a steering-wheel D,

the said sh'a t. bein mounted horizontally and carrying on itsfb y rward end .a spur-gear G; a" gear-carrying plate I having Arotatively mounted thereon. four spur-gears 'H adapted to mesh with the spur-gea'r G on the steeringshaft; -a slotted plate having radial doveengage` slides M therein, slides M in said grooves, steering-levers N vertically mounted and pivotaly connected at their lpper lend with said slides; steering-levers N a aptftailedgrooves L therein adapted lto slidingly y ed to .cross each other in the centerand pivotally'connected at theirlower endswith'the i guiding-disk O a connecting-link Q pivotally lconnected at the end with the guiding-.disk

and at the other end with the steering-bar C. and 'the steering-bar C substantiallypas herein shown anddescribed.

3. `Means to lock the steering-gear of an automobile having the parts 'herein described, comprising a spur-gear R mounted on a horizontally-mounted shaft S and adapted to be moved backwardor forward by the leverU substantially as herein shown and dey scribed.

4.' In an automobile of the characterherein described, a planetary gear carried on a gearcarrying plate adapted to meshwith a spur- 'gear on the steering-shaft in combination with a plate having'on one side thereof'dove'- tailed grooves extending at right angles` across the face of the plate and having on the Aother side of said plate internally-projecting gear-teethadapted tol engage the planetary gear, slides in said grooves carrying steeringbars operatively connected therewith and with the steering-bar. of the automobile.

5` In an automobile provided Witha steer ing device havinga planetary gear adapted to meshwith a. spur-gear keyed to the end ofthe steering-shaft, a spur-gear adapted to 'be thrown into or out of engagement with' thelplanetarygear and the ear onthe'steering-shaft.` and thereby loc Vor unlock the steering device of the automobile.

In witness that ,we claim the foregoing We l have hereunto subscribed ournames this 29th day of December, 1905.` v

' A THATCHER P. WILSON. WALTER W. W ILSQN. Witnesses: y

' G. HARPHAM,

HENRY T. HAZARD. 

